Retrial planned for man who broke $4.5M statue’s thumb

FILE - In this April 2, 2019 photo, Michael Rohana leaves the James A. Byrne U.S. Federal Courthouse in Center City Philadelphia. Federal prosecutors plan to retry Rohana, a Delaware man who admitted he broke a thumb off a $4.5 million statue at a Philadelphia museum. Philly.com reports prosecutors told a judge Thursday, May 16 they're refiling charges agains Rohana for theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage.
The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File
Tim Tai

PHILADELPHIA

Federal prosecutors plan to retry a Delaware man who admitted he broke a thumb off a $4.5 million statue at a Philadelphia museum.

Philly.com reports prosecutors told a judge Thursday they're refiling charges against Michael Rohana for theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage.

A jury deadlocked in the case last month after Rohana's lawyer argued he hadn't been charged under the right law.

Rohana was attending a Christmas-themed ugly sweater party at the Franklin Institute when he entered a closed exhibit of ancient Chinese terra cotta warrior statues. Authorities say Rohana snapped the thumb of a statute called "The Cavalryman" and left with it. The incident was captured by surveillance cameras.